Nightfall
by H. Matsui
Summary: Lizzie and Gordo are spending the weekend housesitting on Halloween. They are not alone. . . . A Romantic Ghost Story. UPDATED ON OCT 31. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! LG
1. Default Chapter

Nightfall -- A Ghost Story  
  
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"I think this is it," said Gordo as he drove the car up the long, steep, tree lined driveway.  
  
"Yes! 999 Forest Hill Drive, we're here!" exclaimed Lizzie.  
  
The house on Forest Hill Drive was an old, Victorian style house, quietly nestled in the woods with a rolling hill as its backdrop. The house was located in a secluded, isolated area in western Massachusetts . . . the nearest house was at least a mile away.  
  
As the car slowly approached the house, Lizzie intently gazed about the property. She could see a cluster of pine trees surrounding the house as if they were there to carefully keep guard over it. It almost feels like we're entering into an entirely different world, she mused.  
  
"Oh!" gasped Lizzie. As the car drew nearer to the house, she could now clearly make out the immense scale and size of the house. "Wow, Gordo, Jennifer said the house would be big, but migosh, it looks like a mansion."  
  
"Heh, yeah, but, I've seen bigger Victorian houses in England," replied Gordo. He maneuvered the car into a parking spot right next to the house. He gently pressed on the brakes, put the car into park, and turned off the ignition. "Okay, the Gordo Express has now reached its destination. Please make sure to pick up all your belongings and thank you for flying with us, now, buh-bye!"  
  
Lizzie playfully nudged Gordo's shoulders. "You're not going to let me forget this, are you?"  
  
He turned his head and with an exaggerated serious stare, replied, " Nope. I think you, Lizzie McGuire, owe me a huge favor for doing this with you."  
  
She clapped her hands together, batted her eyelashes and bowed her head. "Yes, yes, Master Gordon, I am your servant for all of eternity, and you may ask me to do as you wish!"  
  
"I like that sound of that!" Gordo stroked his chin with his fingers and gave her a knowing, mischievous look.  
  
"Gordo!" She slapped his shoulders then said, "I *don't* like the sound of that!"  
  
"Wha--? You mean you wouldn't want to do my laundry and clean my apartment for the next year?"  
  
"Uh . . . . let me think about this, how about . . . . NO?"  
  
"Okay, okay, I'll think of some other favor you can do for me. But, hey, we're here, let's get out of this car and check out the house!"  
  
"Now you're talking some sense, Mr. Gordon!" She gave him a smile, then opened the passenger car side door and let her self out into the afternoon air. She closed her eyes and let the crisp, cool, autumn breeze gently caress her face. Ohhh, the air feels so refreshing!  
  
As Gordo got of the car, he shivered, reached in the back for his jacket, and muttered to himself, I hate the cold. He put on his jacket, closed the car door, and stood and marveled at his surroundings. The house *is* impressive, and it's so beautiful and cozy out here, it's such a romantic place . . . .  
  
With that thought, he gazed over at Lizzie, who was still standing next to the open car door and taking a deep breath of the autumn air. Her eyes remained closed, as if she were in deep concentration, and she had a small, but joyful smile on her face.  
  
You're so beautiful, Lizzie, he whispered to himself. Her cheeks were starting to turn rosy from the brush of cold air, and he just watched, transfixed, noticing how the ruby color on her cheeks brought out her breathtaking natural beauty. He wanted nothing more than to walk over to her, to gently brush his fingers across her cheeks and to kiss her.  
  
Lizzie took another deep breath, then she slowly opened her eyes. She saw Gordo, on the other side of the car, looking at her with a curious half- smile on his face. He looks like he's daydreaming, she thought. She waved her hands and smiled at him, hoping to wake him up from his waking dream. "Uh, Gordo, you there?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm here, I was just, um, thinking about stuff."  
  
She walked over to him and placed an arm around his shoulders. "Isn't this place just absolutely gorgeous? You're gonna be glad that you decided to come house-sit and baby-sit with me."  
  
He turned to her, and replied, "yeah, it's beautiful, and I'm glad I came, but that still doesn't mean you're gonna get out of returning me a big favor some time really soon!"  
  
She giggled, kissed him on the cheeks, and said, "Okay, come on, enough talking, let's get our bags and get in the house! I'm dying to see what it looks like inside!" She quickly opened the back seat car door, grabbed her duffle bag, then began skipping up the steps to the front door.  
  
Gordo just kept smiling. Lizzie, you don't know just how much I love the fact that I'm here with you. And it really didn't matter to him much that he had to cancel his plans to attend a long awaited concert by his favorite band, because there was nowhere else in the world he'd rather be than with his best friend, with the woman he secretly loved.  
  
Still deep in thought, he walked to the back of the car to open the car trunk.  
  
Meanwhile, while Gordo was just beginning to take out his bags out of the car, Lizzie had already reached the front door. She dropped her bag, fumbled through her pockets, took out her key chain and just as she was about to try one of the keys, she suddenly felt a presence behind her.  
  
"Go-Gordo, is it you?" She asked.  
  
There was no reply.  
  
She then felt something, someone, gently tugging on the back of her coat tail. She turned around.  
  
There was no one there.  
  
"Hey Gordo, where are you?" She shouted. After a second, she heard Gordo yell to her, "I'm still here getting stuff out of the car. I'll be there in a second!"  
  
Hmm, okay, Gordo's still out by the car, so there's no way he could've pulled on my coat. But, I swear, someone was just here, right near me . . . .  
  
She rubbed her eyes, then sighed. I must just be imagining things, it being Halloween weekend and all. I think I just need to eat something really soon.  
  
She grabbed the doorknob, inserted a key, and pushed open the door. Just as she was about to enter the house, she suddenly heard a tiny, soft voice cry, "Let me out, please let me out!" She whirled around again.  
  
"Who's there? Is it you Gordo?"  
  
There was no answer.  
  
No one was there.  
  
Oh-kay, this is getting really freaky. This better not be Gordo playing some trick on me, she thought as she began feeling increasingly apprehensive.  
  
Then, she heard the cry again. "Let me out, please let me out!" But this time, the plaintive voice sounded as if it was coming from the house. She gingerly poked her head in the darkened doorway. As she groped the wall trying to find the light switch, she was suddenly hit with an invisible force. "Ohhh!" It felt as if something had burrowed into her body, and now she could feel something inside of her, she could feel a presence deep inside of her soul.  
  
Oh my god . . .she closed her eyes and with her right hand braced herself against the doorway.  
  
Everything turned pitch dark and she began feeling an incredibly raw, bone shivering cold run up and down her spine. She couldn't breath and it felt like someone was choking her, suffocating her, and her entire being began to succumb to an intense, overwhelming feeling of sadness, despair, and loneliness.  
  
Just as she was about to pass out, suddenly, the presence in her was gone, and she could once breath again. She began coughing and gasping violently, trying to take in as much air as she possibly could. She put her hand to her chest, trying to steady herself as much as she could.  
  
"Oh my god, Lizzie are you okay?" Gordo finally reached the top of the stairs to see Lizzie visibly shaken up, propped up against the doorway, looking as if she was ready to fall to the ground. He dropped his bags, ran to her, grabbed her by her shoulders and carefully led her inside.  
  
Once inside, he quickly turned on the lights, then walked Lizzie over to a couch and gently placed her on it. He sat next to her and asked, "How are you? Do you need some water?"  
  
She turned to him, nodded, then slumped back on the couch and closed her eyes. He ran outside, found his knapsack, took out a bottle of water, raced back inside and gave the bottle to Lizzie. She took a few sips from the bottle, then said, "I'm okay, really. I am. Thanks, Gordo," as she smiled weakly at him.  
  
"You're welcome. You sure you're okay? What happened to you back there?" He continued to give Lizzie a look of deep concern. He didn't really believe her when she said she was okay.  
  
"I don't know, one minute I was opening the door, the next minute I was - I was-"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't know, you're going to think I'm crazy, but, I felt like I was --- " She didn't finish her sentence, she couldn't finish her sentence.  
  
She sat on the couch, in a catatonic like daze, thinking to herself, it felt, it felt like I was *possessed*, it felt like there was someone, something, inside of me, with me. . . . and whoever it was, that person, that thing, that spirit, he was scared, terrified, and deeply, deeply, deeply lonely . . . . 


	2. Chapter Two

Author's Note: Here's chapter two, just in time for Halloween! Read and review! Hm.  
  
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Lizzie sat on the couch, in a catatonic like daze, thinking to herself, it felt, it felt like I was *possessed*, it felt like there was someone, something, inside of me, with me. . . . and whoever it was, that person, that thing, that spirit, he was scared, terrified, and deeply, deeply, deeply lonely . . .  
  
"What Lizzie? It felt like what?" asked Gordo.  
  
"No-nothing, nothing. It was nothing, I was just imagining things, that's all," She replied.  
  
She took another sip of water and sighed wearily.  
  
He glanced skeptically at her. He knew something was not quite right with her, but he decided not to press the matter.  
  
"Well, I'm glad you're okay, McGuire. I was really worried about you there."  
  
"Thanks, but I'm fine, really. I just need something to eat, I think." She rubbed her stomach delicately, flirtatiously batted her eyelashes, and gave Gordo her sweet, sad, puppy dog look.  
  
Gordo rolled his eyes, stood up, and put his hands on his hips. "Alright, alright, I'll go check the kitchen and get you something to eat. Damn it, McGuire, you know I can't say no when you look at me like that!"  
  
"I know!" She playfully stuck out her tongue and smiled broadly. "See, I'm fine. Now, go and bring me some food!"  
  
He rolled his eyes again and headed towards the back of the house, making sure that he didn't let Lizzie see that he was smiling something fierce. As much as he protested, deep down, he loved it when she flirted with him, even if in a platonic, friendly manner.  
  
Lizzie watched Gordo leave, and soon as he disappeared into the kitchen, her smiled transformed into a grimace as she gingerly rubbed her chest. She could still feel a heavy knot lingering in her heart, residue of the presence that had just been inside of her.  
  
What was that? Where did that voice come from? She wondered. The haunting voice was still ringing in her head, crying out to her.  
  
Let me out, please let me out . . . .  
  
It was, it was . . . a child's voice . . . .  
  
"Here you go, McGuire," said Gordo as he came back from the kitchen and handed her an apple and a bagel. "I also have a banana and a muffin. You think that'll tide you over till we have dinner?"  
  
"Oh yeah, Gordo, thanks, thanks, thanks," she replied as she hungrily took a bite out of the apple. "Ahhhh, that is just what I needed."  
  
He plopped right next to her, and watched as she munched on the apple. He smiled as he watched her rosy cheeks fill up from inside, and thought, you are so damn adorable, McGuire, you know that?  
  
As she ate her apple, she began to sense that Gordo was staring at her, and so she turned to him, gave him a quizzical look, and asked, "What? What? Do I have something on my face? A piece of apple?" She patted her face, checking to see if any stray piece of apple had stuck itself to her chin, or to her cheeks, or to her jaw.  
  
"Nahh, there's nothing on your face. I was just, um, you know, checking you to make sure you're okay," he replied.  
  
"You're weird, you know that, Gordo?"  
  
"And that's why I'm your best friend!" He laughed, gave her another playful glance, then began to look around his surroundings.  
  
"Wow, Lizzie, you have to check out this house, it's absolutely amazing."  
  
The enormous first floor was littered with antique furniture and antique rugs. A gigantic fireplace sat right in front of the couch that they were sitting on, and the walls were covered with large oil paintings.  
  
The dining room and kitchen were located in the back of the first floor of the house, along with a large wooden staircase leading up to the second floor.  
  
"Yeah, it is, it really is," she replied in a hesitant voice. "It's beautiful, but, but, it sort of reminds me of a -"  
  
"A haunted house," said Gordo, finishing her sentence.  
  
"Yeah, a haunted house from one of those creepy movies, you know?"  
  
"Yup, I agree. But, luckily, we know that there's no such thing as haunted houses and ghosts, that's just superstitious myth," he said, speaking in his authoritative "scientific" voice.  
  
"I-I hope you're right, I really hope you're right," she whispered.  
  
The two both fell silent, as they both began to feel a palpable sense of dread engulfing the entire house.  
  
She instinctively grabbed Gordo's arm. "Do-do you feel that, Gordo? Do you?"  
  
"Uh, it's nothing Lizzie. Yeah, I feel it, but, we're just psyching ourselves out you know? Just repeat after me, there's no such thing as ghosts, there's no such thing as ghosts." He smiled at her.  
  
She didn't smile back.  
  
"I - I don't know, Gordo, I just don't know . . . ."  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
After she finished off her apple and bagel, the pair moved their belongings into the guestrooms upstairs.  
  
As night began to fall, they made themselves a spaghetti dinner and then sat in the living room and watched movies on t.v.  
  
As the night approached 11:00 p.m., Lizzie turned to Gordo. "You know, I think it's time for me to get some sleep."  
  
"Me, too. I'm really beat, it's been a long day. Hey, when did you say that Jenn's aunt was going to drop off her daughter?"  
  
"Tomorrow morning sometime. They're going to drop her off before they head off to the airport. She's supposed to be a really sweet girl, it should be fun babysitting her."  
  
"Sure, yeah. I just want to make sure we're up before they get here."  
  
Gordo turned off the t.v. and the pair slowly made their way to the staircase and carefully walked up the stairs.  
  
As soon as they reached the top of the stairway, they said their goodnights, walked into their rooms and closed the doors behind them.  
  
********************************************************************* A FEW HOURS LATER . . . .  
  
"Let me out, please let me out!"  
  
Lizzie's eyes popped wide open as her sleep was abruptly ended by the sound of a faintm disembodied voice.  
  
"Let me out, please, please, please, let me out!"  
  
Ohmigosh, it's, it's, that voice, that voice I heard on the front porch . . . .  
  
Before she could finish her thought, she heard the voice again.  
  
"Please, someone, help me, help me, please! Let me out, please let me out!"  
  
Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, ohmigosh . . . . she peered into the pitch darkness of her room, completely immobilized, not knowing whether she should turn the lights on or whether she should just remain in bed and hope to God that she was just imagining things.  
  
"Please, please, help me, help me, please! Let me out, please let me out!"  
  
Oh no, oh no, oh no . . . she was now fully awake, and her lips were quivering from the most intense feeling of fear that she had ever felt in her life.  
  
The voice was soft and high pitched, like a little boy's voice, and it felt as if whoever it was was standing only a few feet from her. And each time she heard the cry, it felt as if the voice was getting closer and closer . . . .  
  
She heard the voice again.  
  
"I promise I'll be good, I promise! Please, please, please, let me out, let me out!"  
  
The voice was even louder this time . . . . it felt like the person was right next to her ear, only a few inches away from her.  
  
Her skin began to crawl and her mind began to go numb. She was frightened out of her wits, and the only thing she could do was to completely cover herself with her blankets, hoping that the voice would go away, go far, far away.  
  
Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod, this can't be happening to me, this can't this can't please please please go away go away whoever you are . . . .  
  
A few seconds passed. Then a few more.  
  
Nothing.  
  
She didn't hear anything.  
  
Still under the covers, she held her breath and waited, waited to see if she would hear the voice again.  
  
Again, several more seconds passed, and again, she heard nothing.  
  
She let out a sigh of relief, grabbed a hold of her heart, and thought to herself, okay, okay, Lizzie, that was nothing, you were just imagining things, that's all. Like Gordo said, you're just freaking yourself out.  
  
She waited a few more seconds, then carefully lifted the blanket off from her head. She peered into the darkness, and she heard nothing, and more importantly, she couldn't feel any presence in the room.  
  
Should I turn on the lamp and check to make sure, she thought to herself. She glanced at the lamp sitting on the night drawer to her right. She thought for a moment, then decided, nope, nope, not gonna do it, I'll just go back to sleep, yeah, that's it, that's what I'll do . . . .  
  
She shuffled her body, trying to get as comfortable as possible. Her entire body was covered with blankets, and only her face and shoulders were exposed. The room was a bit on the cool side, and it was just the way she liked it.  
  
Just as she was about to close her eyes and fall back asleep, she suddenly felt a hand grabbing her left shoulder.  
  
And she heard the voice again.  
  
"Let me out, please let me out!" The voice this time was like a scream, and she could feel someone's cold, icy breath on her ear. "I promise I'll be good, I promise! Please let me out!!"  
  
"Aaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Terrified beyond belief, Lizzie shrieked as loud as she could and she just kept screaming and screaming and screaming.  
  
The fear she was feeling seemed eternal . . . . she helplessly shook and twisted in her bed, hoping to chase the ghostly voice away, somehow, someway.  
  
It wasn't working. She heard the voice again, even louder this time.  
  
"LET ME OUT, PLEASE LET ME OUT!"  
  
She kept screaming at the top of her lungs even as she was feeling like she was about to pass out.  
  
Suddenly, she heard loud banging on her door. BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!. . .  
  
It was Gordo.  
  
"Lizzie, Lizzie! Are you okay in there?" He shouted.  
  
"Gordo!" She screamed. "Help me Gordo!"  
  
The door violently flung wide open. He frantically flipped on the light switch and rushed over to Lizzie's bed. She was still twisting and squirming in her bed as if her life depended on it.  
  
He sat right beside her as she jumped up and embraced Gordo with everything she had. With her arms wrapped tightly around his back and with her head resting on his shoulder, she sobbed uncontrollably.  
  
"It's okay, Lizzie, it's okay, I'm here, I'm here, everything's okay," he whispered gently in her ear. He gently rocked her as she continued to weep hysterically.  
  
After a few minutes, her sobbing began to subside. But, she continued to hold onto Gordo with all of her strength.  
  
"There's no one here, Lizzie, it's just me, everything's going to be alright, trust me, just trust me, everything's gonna be alright," he whispered into her ears.  
  
She finally broke her embrace, looked at Gordo and said, "oh-oh my god, Gordo, oh my god, that voice, that voice, I heard that awful voice again!"  
  
He looked at her, trying to be as calm as possible. "What voice, Lizzie? What voice?"  
  
"It was the same voice I heard on the front porch. There was someone in my room, Gordo! Oh my god, I'm so scared, I'm so scared!"  
  
She embraced him again. He gently stroked her back and held onto her as tightly as he could. "I didn't see anyone in her, Lizzie. Don't worry, there's no one here, trust me."  
  
"No, no, no, Gordo, there was someone in here, there was. And, and, he - he - touched me, Gordo, he touched on the shoulder. Oh my god it was so awful!"  
  
She broke down and began to sob again. With great patience and compassion, Gordo continued to hold his best friend in his arms and whisper soothing words to her.  
  
Five minutes passed, and she finally began to calm down and breathe normally. She managed a weak smile and said, "Okay, I think I'm okay now. Mostly."  
  
He smiled back at her and gave her a concerned look. "You sure?"  
  
"Yes, yes, I'm sure. I'm okay, just really tired now. Getting kinda sleepy."  
  
"Good, I'm glad you're okay." He brushed her tangled blonde hair and then gently kissed her on her forehead.  
  
The kiss surprised both Gordo and Lizzie.  
  
Huh? He thought. Why did I just do that?  
  
Lizzie smiled, peered into Gordo's eyes and gave him an affectionate gaze. Even though she often would give him a friendly kiss on the cheeks, this was the first time she could ever remember being kissed by him, even if it was just a little kiss on her forehead.  
  
"Thanks, Gordo, you're really sweet."  
  
"Ah, yeah, don't mention it," he said, blushing madly. He slowly began shifting his body as he was about to jump off the bed and head back to his room.  
  
"Gordo! What are you doing?!?!?" She yelled.  
  
He could hear a clear tension and fear in her raised voice. "I'm just going back to my room, that's all? I mean, you need to get some rest."  
  
"Oh my god, no, Gordo, no, you can't leave me, no you can't! Please, please, please stay with me!"  
  
"You want me to stay in your room with you tonight?"  
  
"Yes, yes, please, oh please, I can't be by myself tonight, I just can't!" Pleaded Lizzie.  
  
"Oh, okay, I'll just go to my room, grab a blanket and pillow and I'll be right back."  
  
She gave him a puzzled look then asked, "Why? There's plenty of blanket and extra pillows on the bed."  
  
He was really confused. "Huh? I was planning to sleep on the floor. I didn't think you'd want me to sleep in the same bed with you or anything."  
  
"Yes! Of course! Gordo, I don't want you sleeping on the floor! Really, this bed is enormous, there's plenty of room for both of us. And it's not like I'm gonna bite or anything, I promise!"  
  
"Oh, okay, if you insist," he replied, trying desperately to hide his utter delight at what was transpiring.  
  
He turned off the light and climbed in the right side of the bed. He felt immensely awkward and unsure of himself as he laid side by side with the woman he loved, only inches away from her.  
  
The two laid there, in the dark, with a nervous tension separating them. He could not relax, as he laid there, like a mummy, daring not to move and come into contact with Lizzie.  
  
Suddenly, he felt her hand touch his shoulder. "Gordo, are you okay?"  
  
"Um, yeah! Sure! I'm totally fine! Just trying to get some shut eye!"  
  
"Well, okay. You just seem a little nervous that's all. Which is funny since I'm the nervous wreck here."  
  
Even in the dark he could sense that Lizzie was smiling.  
  
"No, no, not nervous at all! Really!"  
  
"Yeah, right," she whispered. She paused, then said, "Gordo?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Look, I know this might sound kind of weird, and it's totally okay if you said no, but, I'm still really scared and um, if you don't mind, if you, um, could, you know, hold me while I sleep, please, pretty please?"  
  
Am I dreaming? Thought Gordo. Would I mind? Would I mind? Oh my god Lizzie, there's nothing more I'd want than to be able to hold you in my arms!  
  
"Uh, sure, Lizzie, of course! I'd be, uh, happy to oblige!" Ugh, did I just use the word oblige?!? I must sound like a real idiot . . .  
  
"Thanks, Gordo."  
  
He could feel her shuffling and inching towards him. First, he felt her head gently nuzzling on top of his shoulder, with her soft, warm face grazing against his cheeks. Then, he felt her body snuggle right next to his, and finally, he felt her arm softly wrapping itself across his chest.  
  
Oh my god, I'm in heaven . . . .  
  
As he breathed in her rosy fragrance, he could feel her soft, warm breath caressing his face.  
  
Slowly, he turned his head towards Lizzie and gazed into her eyes. She was still awake, and she responded to his gaze with warmth and tenderness. "Thanks, Gordo, she whispered into his ear. "Good night." She kissed him softly on his cheek, cozied her head on his shoulder, and began to fall asleep.  
  
"Good night, Lizzie," he said as quietly as he could. And when he was sure that she was asleep, he whispered into her ear, "I love you so much Lizzie McGuire, and I promise everything's going to be okay."  
  
He then kissed her softly on her forehead and then gave himself permission to drift off into a deep slumber. 


End file.
